Popular Woodworking 2004-10 № 143, страница 55

Popular Woodworking 2004-10 № 143, страница 55

EASY TO BUILD AND EASY TO PERSONALIZE

To show you how simple the Tornado Table is to build, we had each member of the Popular Woodworking staff design and construct their own interpretation. Here's a quick look at what each person created.

• Steve Shanesy, editor and publisher Materials: Walnut top, white oak base, steel supports The idea behind it: I wanted to get closer to the look and materials of the original Noguchi design. The base is turned, giving it a slight domed shape, and the V4" steel round stock is bent at the base and secured with clinch nails. The walnut top is a single board (believe it or not) and features a so-called "pencil edge" detail often seen on Knoll furniture pieces of the era

• Linda Watts, art director Materials: White oak

The idea behind it: I delight in sitting on my front porch on a warm afternoon, so my goal was a practical one. I wanted a side table that could withstand the weather and hold a good book, a glass of iced tea and a planter of flowers. I cut a hole in the top to inset the lipped planter for stability and finished the table with a light coat of boiled linseed oil.

• Christopher Schwarz, executive editor-

Materials: Cherry base and dowels, sugar pine top

The idea behind it: I was going for a high-tech, high-texture look, so all the surfaces are finished with hand tools. The rippled surface of the top was created with a scrub plane. The chamfers on the base and underside of the top were made with a drawknife, block plane and scrapers. And the circle in the base was shaped with a small gouge.

• David Thiel, senior editor-

Materials: Poplar top and base, hardwood dowels

The idea behind it: Black lacquer has always held a magical appeal for me. With such a simple table, a gloss black finish seemed an obvious way to dress it up. I left the dowels natural as a counter-balance to the stark reality of the top and base. The edge of the top was radiused above and a heavy chamfer applied below to slim the appearance.

• Kara Gebhart, managing editor--

Materials: Maple plywood top and bases,

hardwood dowels The idea behind it: I wanted a top with a more fluid shape, but then there was a stability issue. So John suggested creating a two-base tornado "storm." The amoeba-shaped top (cut out on the band saw) is two 22"-diameter circles connected with curves. The overall height is 17" and I chose V4" dowels. The drilling angles remained the same. I finished it with spray lacquer.

• Michael Rabkin, associate editor-

Materials: Poplar top and base, hardwood dowels The idea behind it: Baseball has always been a big part of my life - Mom was a huge Yankee fan and Dad was my Little League coach who took my best friend and me to our first of many

major league games. I changed the circular base to a home plate and painted the entire table white. Then my friend Amy (a great artist) painted the red stitching on the top so it looks like the ball I caught while walking with Dad in the left-field bleachers during batting practice in Pittsburgh this year. PW

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Popular Woodworking October 2004